Rate Of Infertility For Yuppies Jumps To 1 In 4 Couples

June 2, 1985|By Gino Del Guercio, United Press International

BOSTON — Yuppies may be going the way of the dinosaur.

Alarming numbers of young urban professionals and other upwardly mobile baby boomers are having trouble making babies of their own. Recent estimates indicate that the infertility rate has increased from about one in 20 couples during the 1950s to one in four couples today.

With yuppies' tendencies to have small families, high infertility threatens to reduce dramatically the number of yuppy heirs and heiresses.

''We've got a serious problem here,'' said Dr. Joseph Bellina, a fertility specialist. He said the medical profession has placed most of its attention on preventing babies, not making them.

Bellina said a series of social changes -- beginning with the birth control pill -- have led to the increase in infertility. He said the Pill does not have much of a permanent effect on infertility. It sometimes takes a couple of months being off the Pill before fertility returns. However, the Pill sometimes has a strong indirect effect.

The Pill led to an increase in sexual freedom, which led to an increase in the average number of sexual partners, which in turn contributed to the spread of venereal disease. Venereal diseases, even minor ones, can scar female reproductive organs if untreated and can lead to infertility.

''They told users they wouldn't get pregnant, but they didn't say anything about infection,'' he said.

Bellina said the Pill also makes women more susceptible to a type of mild venereal infection called chlamydia, which also can lead to infertility.

And finally, with the reassurance the Pill gave young women that they would not become pregnant until the wanted to, they held off having babies until their late 20s and early 30s.

''When people wait until the tail end of the reproductive period, it's natural to see more problems,'' Bellina said.

Another type of birth control device, the IUD, which was popular during the 1960s and '70s, has directly contributed to infertility in many women who used it. The best of the intrauterine devices caused infertility in about 17 of every 1,000 users. The worst IUDs caused infertility in as many as 120 of every 1,000.

Couples with difficulties having a baby should also consider the psychological consequences of their efforts.

''For a while our clinic was having good success making babies, but we noticed that many couples were getting divorced once the baby was delivered,'' he said.

They found the strict sexual regimen infertile couples were told to follow drained all passion from the relationship. The blame and guilt couples added to the marriage added even more stress.